Maria von Trapp of 'Sound of Music' fame dead at 99

February 22, 2014|Reuters

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Maria von Trapp, a member of the Austrianfamily whose escape from Nazi Germany and subsequent musicalcareer inspired the famed musical "The Sound of Music," has diedat the age of 99, according to newspapers quoting her brother.

Von Trapp died Tuesday but the news was confirmed Saturdayby her half-brother Johannes von Trapp, according to the NewYork Daily News. Von Trapp died of natural causes at her home inVermont, the paper reported.

No one was immediately available to comment at the TrappFamily Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, or at the original family home,Villa Trapp, in Austria.

Von Trapp was one of seven children of the Austrian NavalCaptain Georg von Trapp and his wife Agathe Whitehead von Trapp.The father remarried after his wife died and had three morechildren with his second wife, Maria Augusta von Trapp, whotaught the children music and wrote a book that became theinspiration for stage and film productions of that made thestory a classic.

The von Trapp family left Austria in 1938 and performedmusical numbers across Europe and the United States beforesettling to live in Vermont, where they ran a resort.

(Reporting by Carey Gillam and Kevin Murphy in Kansas City;Editing by Lisa Shumaker)